The purpose of this research project is to obtain basic information necessary for understanding the nature of and the control of human food poisoning caused by Clostridium perfringens. Investigations will be made of the factors affecting enterotoxin production and stability and to determine the relationship of enterotoxin synthesis to the bacterial morphogenic process of spore formation. Studies on toxin formation in different toxigenic types of C. perfringens and techniques for enterotoxin quantitation will be pursued.